ISO/TC 269/SC 1 - Infrastructure

This document specifies general requirements of polymeric composite railway sleepers. It is applicable to the sleepers, bearers and transoms to be installed in all tracks (both heavy and urban rail) with or without ballast.

This document specifies laboratory test procedures to determine the static and low-frequency dynamic stiffness of rail pads, baseplate pads and complete rail fastening assemblies.

This document specifies the characteristics of polymeric composite and reinforced polymeric composite materials in the manufacture of polymeric composite railway sleepers. It is applicable to sleepers, bearers and transoms to be installed in all tracks (both heavy and urban rail) with or without ballast. NOTE In this document, the term “sleeper” refers to “sleeper, bearer and transom”.

This document defines technical criteria and control procedures which need to be satisfied by the constituent materials and the finished concrete sleepers and bearers, i.e. precast concrete sleepers, twin-block reinforced sleepers, bearers for switches and crossings, and special elements for railway tracks. This document defines mechanical tests which provide assurance of the capability of sleepers or bearers to resist repetitive loading and provide sufficient durability. In addition, it places controls on manufacturing processes and tests to ensure that the concrete will not suffer degradation in service through chemical reaction and frost damage.

This document defines additional technical criteria and control procedures related to the manufacturing and testing of prestressed monoblock sleepers.

This document specifies the laboratory test procedure for determining the clamping force exerted by the fastening system on the foot of the rail by measuring the force to separate the rail foot from its immediate support. When required, the procedure is also used to determine the uplift stiffness of the fastening system. It is applicable to systems with and without baseplates on all types of sleepers, bearers or elements of ballastless track. The test does not determine the security of the fastening components fixed into the sleeper or other fastening system support. This test procedure applies to a complete fastening assembly. It is not applicable to fastening systems for embedded rail or other fastening systems which do not act on the foot of the rail.

This document specifies requirements concerning the approval and/or homologation of welding processes, contractors, welders, inspectors and acceptance of welded joints in the factory and/or track. This document is applicable to the following rail welding processes: flash butt welding (FBW); gas pressure welding (GPW); aluminothermic welding (ATW); enclosed arc welding (EAW). In this document, 43 kg/m to 75 kg/m new flat-bottomed rails of the same profiles and same steel grades are used as the subject of welding. This document does not specify requirements or test methods specific to each welding process. These are to be prescribed in the subsequent parts of the ISO 23300 series. Concerning butt welding, this document is restricted to connecting rail ends. This document does not cover the welding for construction of crossings, railway switches, signal bond installation or restoration of rails. This document does not cover any safety regulations for welding operations. In this document, the qualifications of individuals and organizations that are approved by the railway authority for rail welding are not specified.

This document specifies a laboratory test procedure for determining the electrical resistance, in wet conditions, between the running rails provided by a fastening system fitted to a steel or concrete sleeper, bearer or element of ballastless track. It is also applicable to embedded rail. This test procedure applies to a complete fastening assembly. It is relevant to signalling currents, not to traction currents. A reference procedure and an alternative procedure are included.

This document specifies the laboratory test procedure to determine: a) the maximum longitudinal force that can be applied to a rail, secured to a sleeper, bearer or element of ballastless track by a rail fastening assembly, without non-elastic displacement of the rail occurring, or the longitudinal stiffness at a specified longitudinal displacement of a specimen of embedded rail with an adhesive fastening system, and for any type of fastening; b) the shear displacement and slip data required for track-bridge interaction calculations.

This document specifies a laboratory test procedure for finding the effect of exposure to severe environmental conditions on the fastening system. This test procedure applies to a complete fastening assembly including embedded rail with mechanical fastenings. It is not applicable to embedded rail systems relying on adhesive components to secure the rail.

This document specifies a test procedure to confirm that the force necessary to pull the anchorage of a rail fastening assembly out of the sleeper or other supporting element is greater than a prescribed value (i.e. it is a "proof load" test). This test is for components of the fastening system which are: a) cast into concrete during the manufacture of sleepers or other supporting elements; b) glued into the cast or drilled holes in concrete; or c) screwed or otherwise attached to wood, polymeric composite or steel sleepers or other supporting elements. This test is not applicable to embedded rails.

This document specifies various test methods to ensure the performance of polymeric composite and reinforced polymeric composite sleepers, bearers and transoms for use in tracks. It is applicable to the sleepers, bearers and transoms to be installed in tracks with or without a ballast.

This document specifies the terms and definitions used in the ISO 22074 series of standards related to rail fastening systems. NOTE In this document, there are some entries where more than one term is listed in the header (e.g. sleeper, tie, cross tie in 3.2.3). In such cases, the first term is the preferred term, generally used in the ISO 22074 series of standards. The other terms are also in common use in the railway industry and are considered to be synonymous (admitted terms).

ISO 12856-1:2014 specifies the characteristics of plastic and reinforced plastic materials to be used in the manufacturing of railway sleepers. It is applicable to the sleepers and parts of sleepers to be installed in tracks with or without ballast. Examples of different types of plastic and reinforced sleepers are given in an annex.